Senate Bill 375/House Bill 589
Health benefit plan coverage for hearing aids for children with hearing loss, birth through age 21, up to $2,500 per ear every 36 months.
Let me tell you about my child and family ...
- Insurance coverage of hearing aids is greatly needed.
- 1 pair of hearing aids cost between $3,000 and $6,000. My child's hearing aids cost $ _________.
- Just like glasses, hearing aids need to be replaced or changed over time.
This benefit would have helped my family and other families that have children with a hearing loss ...
- Approximately 1.7 children per 1,000 births or 223 children under the age of 3 years, in NC were diagnosed with permanent hearing loss in 2007 at an average cost of $11,375 per child for a total of $2,536,625.
- Research has shown that children diagnosed with hearing loss and provided amplification within the first 6 months of life will develop the language foundation necessary for literacy and academic success by the time they start kindergarten.
- Hearing aids are critical to the language development of children with hearing loss whose parents have chosen listening and spoken language for them.
- Research has shown at least 40 percent of of children with a hearing loss are needing insurance coverage for hearing aids.
- 13 other states--RI, CT, MD, CO, NM, MN, KY, OK, LA, MO, NJ, ME, DE--have passed legislation requiring insurance coverage for hearing aids for children.
- Estimated insurance premium increase per insured NC citizen = $ .39
This benefit would ultimately save our our community dollars ...
- The average educational cost for a child with hearing loss who is not provided the necessary intervention, including hearing technology, is estimated to require special education services of $417,000 to $500,000 during the educational years, and an additional $500,000 in public support after leaving the educational setting.
- About 40% of the children in North Carolina each year that are diagnosed with a hearing loss are unable to secure any financial assistance for providing amplification. If health benefit plans are required to cover hearing aids and replacement of hearing aids for children, this would save our state money (educational costs), provided that these children are identified early, given appropriate early intervention, medical, and audiological services.
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